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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. chest — a box
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. root — the cause
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hand — help
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of a king
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — in cards
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bear — the animal
  21. scale — size or range
  22. chest — of your body
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com